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AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Melbourne, June 14. The Chairman of the Tariff Commission has written to the Commissioner of Customs, recommending foreign barley being malted in bond, and a drawback being allowed to maltsters under somewhat similar conditions to those allowed to the milling trade. A Board has been appointed to report upon the treatment of Miss Southon, who was lately a smallpox patient. The Lusitania to-day takes 4,500 picked carcases of mutton and some beef. The brig Albert the Good, from Kaipara, with a cargo of kauri, reports meeting with very tempestuous weather. The wind raged with hurricane force on the 31st, and the vessel was thrown on her beam ends and lay with her starboard side under water.for many hours. The vessel was driven 180 miles N.W. The bulwarks were partly carried away. Melbourne* June 15. ? The Conference of Presbyterian Ministers was held on the 14th to consider the state of religion in the colony. Henry Bryant was charged with forging the name of the proprietor of the Age. The case was adjourned. A document was found on the prisoner, purporting to be an agreement with Mr Syme fixingithe remuneration for the Russian scare information at LIOO. Sydney, Juqe 14. The brig Syren, bound from Kaipara to Sydney, has put into Brisbane. She encountered a terrible gale on June Ist, which washed overboard two seamen, besides carrying away the lumber and everything else on deck, and smashing the long-boat. Another sea carried away W. G. Brown, the mate. It is stated that the Rev. Dr Barry, Canon of Worcester, is likely to be the new Bishop. Four notorious characters, including Wild Wright, are buahranging about Nymagee. The police are in pursuit. Efforts are being made to form a third party in the Assembly, independent of the present loaders. It is likely tho result will be a success.

The question of raising the Sydney see to an Archbishopric is being considered.

The City of Melbourne has arrived from Noumea. She brings intelligence that the Queensland schooner Magnet, 91 tons, was wrecked off the Island of- Tanna during a dead calm on the l/th May. There was a heavy swell and the schooner was lifted by the sea over a small reef, and was then left hard and fast on another. IN o sooner had the vessel become fixed on the reef than she was boarded by a swarm of natives, who plundered her of everything, even cutting the sails from the yards. In addition to the general cargo, sixty muskets and 1251bs of powder fell into their hands. The natives rapidly gathered on shore to the number of about 100, and the captain and crew of the Magnet observed numerous guns and tomahawks brought hurriedly down to the men by the women and children, who immediately ran back to cover. The crew took to the boats, and barely escaped with their lives. Eventually they reached Port Resolution, twenty miles away, where they were most hospitably received by the Rev. Mr Neilson, and from there reached Noumea on the 31st May by the schooner Portvilla. Martini Henri and other first-class rifles are said to bo by no means uncommon amongst the natives of Tanna. On one occasion the master of the Portvilla, whilst walking quietly along the shore of the island, was fired at by a native, the bullet going through his shirtsleeve.

Brisbane, June 15. A man entered the Joint Stock Bank of

Maryborough on the 14th and fired at the accountant, who returned the shot. Neither were hurt. The man was immediately arrested. He gave the name of Maurice O’Brien, an American. He is believed to be insane. Adelaide, June 15. A correspondent of the Register visited the island of North Palmerston, which is believed to be inhabited by wild and savage natives None were sighted, but thousands of buffalos, from the herd left there by the Imperial party, were sent. An exploring party, with camels, is about t > be despatched to open up the country.

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